Supporting The Pillar - Companion Piece To Tears In The Shower
by tarin2014tfan
Summary: Donnie does what he's best at, fixing broken things.


**Supporting the Pillar Companion piece to Tears in the Shower**

 **Disclaimer-** I do not own TMNT or any of the characters therein. Some VERY rich dude does.  
 **Rating** \- Suitable for general audiences.  
 **Story Warnings-** It's sad. (Don't like these topics? Do not read.)  
 **Pairings** \- Leo and Donnie being brothers. Nothing sexual happening here, folks. (Don't like these topics? Do not read.)  
 **Universe-** Whichever you want.  
 **Ages-** Adult

 **Summary** \- Donnie does what he's best at, fixing broken things.

 **Supporting the Pillar**

He knew

He always knew.

If the shower came on at two in the morning, Donnie knew Leo was having another emotional meltdown.

In the beginning, convenience had forced the resident genius to install his lab's emergency shower along the same wall as the family shower. It took less work, so he could move on to other projects that made life a whole lot easier for the small family of mutants.

The only downfall was how thin that wall was. When someone was using the shower, the sounds reverberated throughout the lab.

He had planned to add sound-proofing, when he had a spare minute of two, but never found the time. It was still on his to-do list even after so many years, just closer to the bottom.

He didn't mind the sound so much anymore. It had quickly become nothing more than background noise, easily ignored. Over time the sound of cascading water proved itself to be beneficial, relaxing Donnie's ever chaotic mind, and helping the genius think his way through whatever problem happened to present itself.

At first he hadn't noticed the early morning showers. When he did, he thought it was Raph coming in from a late night out on the town with Casey, or Mikey after an early wake up call from Raph coming in from a late night with Casey.

He never would have guessed, not even in his wildest imaginations, it was Leo.

He hadn't bothered to find out who it was until the sound of sobbing echoed through the wall.

It was a heartbreaking sound. A sound that could only be made by someone who has had their soul shattered a thousand times over.

He was well acquainted with that sound. All four of them were. It was the very sound they had made the day Splinter had died.

He wasn't sure which brother he had expected to see step out of the bathroom, but it certainly wasn't Leo.

Leo was the backbone of the family, the main support.

Leo didn't fall apart.

He never had before.

Donnie watched as his oldest brother made his way to his bedroom.

He had watched Leo move countless times in many situations, but this time he was surprised by what he saw.

When had Leo become so... hunched? As if he carried the weight of the world on his shell? When did his brother start to move so slowly? Leo had always walked without a sound, but now he moved as if dragging a massive weight behind him.

He started paying attention.

When did Leo's eyes lose their spark?

When had Leo's skin become dull?

Leo had never been one to laugh overly much, but when did he stop smiling?

Splinter had been the one to die, not Leo.

So, where did the Leo he knew go?

He mentioned it to Mikey, and Raph.

They watched.

They agreed.

They didn't know what to do. How could they? It wasn't their job.

It was his.

He fixed things.

He made their lives easier.

He was the one who solved the hard problems.

How did you fix a broken brother? How did Leo become broken in the first place?

He was determined to find out.

He researched.

He watched and listened.

And what he discovered broke his heart.

Leo did things for the family no one else could, or would. Things only the blue banded ninja was capable of doing.

He could relate. So did he.

The only difference was, his brothers thanked Donnie.

Leo, not so much.

Everyday Mikey cooked. He thanked Donnie for repairing the appliances.

No one thanked Leo for standing guard when they went for supplies.

Every night Raph rode his motorcycle. He thanked Donnie before turning in for the night for building the machine.

No one thanked Leo for making sure their escape routes remained clear.

Every time Donnie's creativity was the only reason they made it home alive, Leo thanked him for saving the family.

No one thanked Leo for taking the hits meant for one of them.

Mikey was thanked for every meal he cooked.

No one thanked Leo for the training that kept them alive.

Raph was thanked for every assist he gave.

No one thanked Leo for repairing the shared weapons damaged in battle

When was the last time one of them had thanked Leo for a quickly devised plan? Or for asking how they were feeling? If they were warm? Hungry? For sitting up all night watching over them while they slept to keep the nightmares away?

When was the last time they had helped him?

Or cared enough to ask if he was okay?

The sobs grew in volume. Tonight was bad, worse than usual.

His heart heavy with realization, Donnie turned to the shared wall.

He fixed things.

He stood.

He would fix this.

With a determined step, he entered the bathroom. He stopped. Brought close to tears by what he saw before him.

Leo, the pillar of the family, sat, huddled in the farthest corner of the shower, his face turned into the spray, crying.

No living being could function when the main support, their backbone, was broken.

The same was true of a family. Remove the support, the family falls.

He ignored the scalding water.

He ignored the stinging of his skin.

He wrapped his arms around his broken brother. And held him tight.

Leo gasped in fear.

"Shh," he soothed.

Leo tried to pull away.

Donnie didn't let him. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

They sat there until Leo's tears stopped, and the water turned cool. Donnie took a towel, helped his brother dry off, and hand-in-hand lead them to Leo's room, where he tucked his brother in bed, lying down beside him.

Silence wrapped the two of them in the same comforting hold Donnie had wrapped around Leo.

"Why?"

"Every broken support needs a brace to hold it up until it's repaired."

"What if it can't be repaired?"

"They do it together."

Thanks for reading.


End file.
